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Building The Body Study 5 - Sorrow in the Body

  • 4 days ago
  • 19 min read

Acts 20:36-38 NIV 

[36] When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. [37] They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. [38] What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. 

A few times in my life I have witnessed pastors moving on from a church to pastures new: sometimes to bigger and better things, on a few occasions to retirement. There is always an element of sadness to it. Pastors who have preached well from the pulpit and let well in church meetings are always missed. 


Sometimes they are missed for the wrong reasons. It’s very easy for a cult of personality to develop around a leader.  


But sometimes they are missed for the right reasons. 


What we see in this passage is what happens when a dearly beloved leader departs. In this case, there is greater poignancy. Not only was Paul leaving on a journey, he was leaving for journey from which he may never return. Indeed, he did not.


I've been a party to quite a few family farewells, and, sadly, several for which one of the family members was not seen again. I have an idea of how this would have felt.  


It’s no wonder, then, that the Ephesian elders travelled for a day just to spend it with Paul before he left for Jerusalem. 


There are three aspects of Paul's ministry, and theirs, that ought to be the hallmark of any great leader, and which clearly had an impact on these Ephesians. These aspects explain why Paul was such a respected leader, and why they loved him so much.


The first of these is Priority. 

 

Priority 

Acts 20:16-24 NIV 

[16] Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. [17] From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. [18] When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. [19] I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. [20] You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. [21] I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. [22] “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. [23] I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. [24] However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. 

One of the most important things you will ever do in life is learn to put first things first. 


Let me give you an example. 


We love to travel. Every airport has an alleyway of temptation: a place where they hope to waylay you into making a detour before you go to your gate. They make you cross it before you get there. They lure you in like sirens with bright lights and colours and enticing sounds. 


I'm talking, of course, about duty free. I normally have little interest in it. I'm in an airport to catch a flight, not to be tricked into paying higher prices than I would outside. 


But other poor souls don’t prioritise the same way I do. They often risk missing their flight – the reason why they came to the airport in the first place – for the sake of minor trinkets. 


Paul had his priorities. They were fixed. They did not move. And they drove every other action he took, no matter the cost.  


That made an enormous difference to how he led. 


Look at what he later wrote to the church in Philippi: 


Philippians 1:20-21 NIV 

[20] I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. [21] For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  

Philippians 3:7-11 NIV 

[7] But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. [8] What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. [10] I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/php.3.7-11.NIV)


When we are in a shop and we find a bargain, we let go of some money and we take a hold of the object we are purchasing. To us, our money is of lesser value than the object. 


What is happening here is the greatest bargain in history. Paul let go of everything else, including his own past, and he grasped a hold of Christ. Jesus became his one priority over all. 


Jesus taught us to do the same, but with the things of this earth that we worry about: 


Matthew 6:33 NIV 

[33] But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.6.33.NIV)


A mark of Paul’s leadership, even towards the end of his ministry when he knew full well that imprisonment, torture and death awaited him, was that he was fixed on the overriding priority of obeying God and bringing Him glory. 


Look what he could write to his young disciple Timothy, without any fear of contradiction: 


2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV 

[7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [8] Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/2ti.4.7-8.NIV)


Paul cared little about what happened to him, if only he could fulfil the task given to him by God. He was single-minded and not side-tracked even by threats of violence. 


That is what made him a great leader. 


I wonder, are we that single-minded? Are we that focused in obeying God? 


So we have seen, then, that Paul's priority was obeying God and this made him a strong, focused leader. 


The second aspect of his leadership was his Responsibility. 

 

Responsibility 

Acts 20:25-31 NIV 

[25] “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. [26] Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. [27] For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. [28] Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. [29] I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. [30] Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. [31] So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 

A true leader's mettle is proven not by their alma mater or aristocratic birth or any such factor, but by what they do when things go wrong. 


This world is full of leaders who talk a good game, but when the chips are down take no responsibility and try to point the finger at other people. 


Paul did not do that. He stepped up. 


There are two essential responsibilities in this passage they every Christian leader must do. 


The first is to Preach the Whole Will of God. Leave out nothing, even if it’s inconvenient or it shows you in a bad light. As Paul told Timothy: 


2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV 

[16] All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, [17] so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

And as Peter noted: 


2 Peter 1:20-21 NIV 

[20] Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. [21] For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 

Bible teachers must not be Bible censors. Of course, there are parts of the Bible that are strong meat for those who are very young or of a nervous disposition. These we should treat with care.  


But anyone who believes it’s okay to leave out or explain away parts of the Bible that are challenging or difficult for their culture or context must take note of these tough, no-nonsense verses: 


Revelation 22:18-19 NIV 

[18] I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. [19] And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. 

We do not have the right to bend God’s Word or His Will to suit our thinking:

 

Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV 

[8] “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. [9] “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/isa.55.8-9.NIV)


Let me give you an example. A number of months ago I asked for a new chair from my work. It arrived. I put it together. But at the start it was really uncomfortable. My back was constantly sore. 


And then I realised why. The new chair offered better back support than my old chair had offered, but to get this support I would have to sit properly, with correct posture, in the chair. 


The chair wasn’t the problem, I was. 


If parts of the Bible challenge you and make you feel uncomfortable, maybe you should ask yourself if it’s really the Bible that has the problem. 


It could be you. 


The second key aspect of being a good leader is to Guard the Body of Christ. 


Nowadays, we have all sorts of technology that can help us guard the things or the people we love. There are even apps that can turn our old devices into motion sensing security cameras. Police and immigration are experimenting with facial recognition that can identify us way faster than any human ever could. 


We might baulk at this surveillance culture, but on the bright side, it will make life way more difficult for those who desire to commit crimes. 


Back when I was growing up, though, the job of keeping guard over industrial premises was entrusted to unarmed men known as night watchmen, who would walk around their properties at night and call the police if anything suspicious happened. 


Paul was telling the Ephesian elders travelled be night watchmen for the church. They had no ‘error-sensing’ cameras to spot those with bad intentions trying to distort the Word of God. They needed to be alert to spot such people for themselves. 


When Paul saw such people, he absolutely did not hold back (2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Galatians 5:12). And not without good reason: their sole aim was to distract people from the Gospel so as to gain glory, fame, power or money for themselves. They could not have cared less about the consequences for those who follower them. 


Jesus also wrote about such people: 


Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 NIV 

[24] Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. [25] But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. [26] When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. [27]  “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ [28]  “ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ [29]  “ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ” 
[36] Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” [37] He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. [38] The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, [39] and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. [40]  “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. [41] The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. [42] They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [43] Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear. 

Nothing much has changed. There are still people who come into the church with evil intentions. They are either legalists, who try to persuade us that Christ is not enough and we need to subscribe to their doctrine or do what they tell us to be saved, or they are liberalists, who believe in cheap grace and salvation and try to argue that it doesn’t matter how we live because God loves us. 


Both of these are extremes. Both of these must be challenged. Both of these must be rejected. 


Salvation is through grace and grace alone. That grace is received through faith. Faith must produce works. 


Anything else is heresy. 


Both preaching and guarding are heavy responsibilities that should not at all be taken lightly. The fact that Paul was willing to take them on at all says something about his character. Nowadays people flee from responsibility, even for their own mistakes. 


Paul did not. That is what made him one of the greatest leaders of the early church. 


But the Ephesian elders were now being required to step up and take responsibility too. 


Will we do it? 


We have seen, then, that having a life directed by the right priorities and being unafraid to take on heavy responsibilities are two marks of a great leader. 

 

The third mark is so important: that of Integrity. 

 

Integrity 

Acts 20:25-27, 32-35 NIV 

[25] “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. [26] Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. [27] For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.  
[32] “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. [33] I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. [34] You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. [35] In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” 

I live in Scotland. Recently the ruling party in the Scottish Parliament was rocked by scandal.


While Nicola Sturgeon was First Minister, her then husband Peter Murrell, who was her party’s CEO, was busy embezzling £459,000 from party funds, and using party authority to keep prying eyes away from his illicit business. 


There is nothing more irritating than when our leaders, and their spouses, fail to act with integrity.  


We expect that from them – as a minimum. We are perfectly correct to do so. A basic component of any good leader is honesty. Dishonest people cannot lead because they cannot be trusted. 


How much more a Christian leader? 


What we see here are three examples of what it takes to be a great Christian leader. 


Firstly, again, Guard the Flock by preaching the whole will of God. Leave nothing out. Hide nothing. Conceal nothing. If it contradicts what you believe, change your beliefs. If it challenges the way of life you live, change your way of life. 


Place yourself under the Word of God. Do not dare to place the Word of God under you. 


We have already seen how important this is. 


Paul explains why: because preaching the Word of God makes you innocent of bloodshed. 


Why? 


Ezekiel 33:1-20 tells us, through the image of a watchman. 


He uses the picture not of an old fashioned night watchmen, but of an army watchman, commissioned to keep watch in case a city was about to be attacked. It was a dangerous, difficult and thankless task. He would be up on the walls, scanning the horizon day and night for often unknown threats. 


God told Ezekiel that he was that watchman. If he warned the people of an incoming threat and they did not take the appropriate action, he had fulfilled his duty and was free of blame – their blood was on their own heads. 


But if he did not fulfil his duty, their blood was on his head because he did not warn them. 


Ezekiel was Israel’s watchman. 


The Ephesian elders were their church’s watchmen. Part of their job was to understand the nature of whatever was trying to get into the church. If it was dangerous, they ought to warn their congregation.  


Paul had done this. Therefore if the Ephesians had chose to ignore him, then their blood was on their own heads. 


That is one aspect of what it meant for him to act with integrity. 


The second is to Guard Your Wealth, or, more appropriately, your attitude to wealth: 


Acts 20:33 NIV 

[33] I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/act.20.33.NIV)


This little sentence is so telling. Paul was not at all interested in competing with other people over their belongings. This is a critical aspect of ministry. Covetousness is a sin. It cannot grow its bitter root in any of us. It has to go. 


The Bible is absolutely clear on this: 


1 Timothy 6:6-10 NIV 

[6] But godliness with contentment is great gain. [7] For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. [8] But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. [9] Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. [10] For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1ti.6.6-10.NIV)


Matthew 6:24 NIV 

[24]  “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.6.24.NIV)


And that’s just money. The Bible is abundantly clear on how far this extends: 


Exodus 20:17 NIV 

[17] “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/exo.20.17.NIV)


Ephesus was a big, important port city. There would doubtless have been some really rich people living there.


But Paul did not covet any aspect of their lifestyle. He was not involved in the foolishness of comparing his lifestyle as an Apostle to theirs. 


And that is a mark of a true spiritual leader. 


Lastly, we also see that set an example that they should Guard their work. 


Acts 20:34-35 NIV 

[34] You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. [35] In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” 

Right away, we need to make that we understand these verses correctly. Paul was not against Christian workers being salaried. Far from it: 


1 Corinthians 9:7-11, 13-14 NIV 

[7] Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? [8] Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? [9] For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? [10] Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. [11] If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?  
[13] Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? [14] In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.9.7-14.NIV)


But Paul did not do this: 


1 Corinthians 9:12 NIV 

[12] If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.9.12.NIV)


He worked as a tentmaker (Acts 18:3) to support both his own ministry and the ministry of others. 


Why? 


To prevent allegations of financial impropriety and to set an example for other Christians to follow: 


2 Thessalonians 3:6-10 NIV 

[6] In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. [7] For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, [8] nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. [9] We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. [10] For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/2th.3.6-10.NIV)


Paul’s example was that a Christian should earn their keep. If they had more than enough, they should be willing to share it with those in need. 


Paul taught that we should work, work hard and work well so that our work will commend the Gospel to others: 


Colossians 3:23-24 NIV 

[23] Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, [24] since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.  

This was an important point he reiterated in several of his letters.

  

Work is a key part of integrity. We cannot show integrity without being committed to a fair day’s work. 


You can see, then, how a leader like Paul would be badly missed. Leaders like this are rare nowadays. 


The reasons for the sorrow the Ephesian elders felt are really very clear. 

 

Conclusion 

Acts 20:38 NIV 

[38] What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/act.20.38.NIV)


There are some people who are simply irreplaceable. 


At timenof writing, for example, the World Cup is being played in Canada, Mexico and the USA.


Multiple teams have world-renowned players such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić and the like who are edging towards retirement and who, due to their influence and skill levels, will be sorely missed by their teams as they have no-one else who can do what they do. Churches, mission agencies and NGOs who were built around their pastors or strong leaders and who don’t have a clear succession plan in place will likely have issues when these main people finish their ministries. Companies built around strong CEOs often struggle when they move on. 


Fewer people were more influential and therefore more missed from the early church than the Apostle Paul. 


While men like Peter were pioneers who took the church to places it had never gone before, Paul was the brains behind the outfit. As he was a Pharisee, educated under some of the finest theological minds in Judaism (Acts 22:3), Paul really knew his stuff. He was sharp. He was intellectual. He was theologically sound. He was clearly very brave and forthright. 


And that was what made him very dangerous for the Jews. They could not refute him, so they persecuted him. 


Ultimately, such a sharp theological mind clashing with mainstream Judaism was bound to lead to bloodshed. 


Paul knew it was coming. He knew he could not return to Jerusalem while in the middle of such controversy without something bad happening. 


And so we see him here, heading towards his certain fate, saying his goodbyes to the Ephesian elders, full in the knowledge that he will never see them again. 


That’s what makes these verses among the most raw and emotional in the New Testament. 


And yet within them we see three traits of just what made Paul such a hugely influential leader. 


We saw his priority: how he put obedience to God first above all other considerations, even his own safety, even his own life.  


We saw his taking of responsibility: how he fronted up to some of the greatest and heaviest responsibilities of passing on the Word of God, knowing full well what was at stake at every turn. 


We saw his integrity: how he set out his stall to be above reproach no matter what happened. 


A football manager recently took a job at one of the biggest teams in my country. He was asked who he would appoint as captain. He replied that he wanted to recruit as many strong characters as possible for his team so that he had a team of captains, and then he would pick one of them. 


I like that approach. 


Too often, we as Christians have sought a passive approach to our faith, where we take our seat and allow ourselves to be chauffeured into heaven by whatever leader happens to be in the pulpit at the time. 


That should not be the case. The church needs to be a body of leaders  - not a bunch of strong personalities who are all scrapping for power, but a body of people who live as if they were leading the church even if they are not. The church needs people who put God first, who aren’t afraid to take responsibility in ministry and who live with flawless integrity. 


Because that is how the church grows. 

 

Prayer 

Lord Jesus, I see how Paul was so badly missed by the Ephesians. I want to be the kind of person who is so influential in my environment that people miss me when I am gone. Help me to always put You first, to never shy away from taking responsibility in ministry and to always act with impeccable integrity. Amen. 

 

Questions for Contemplation 

  • Why did Paul mean so much to the Ephesian elders that they travelled for a day to say farewell to him? What can we learn from this? 

  • What three traits did we learn of that Paul had in abundance? Is this something just for leaders or is it for all of us? 

  • What will you change to live this way? 

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